Small business flex competition launched

Flexible recruitment expert Timewise has launched a search for the UK’s most flexible small business.

In partnership with PwC, the Department for Business Innovation & Skills’ Business is Great campaign and the Department for Work & Pensions, the competition aims to highlight part-time and remote working in SMEs with between two and 249 employees. The winner will receive £1,000 and have a three minute video produced about their business.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are responsible for 84% of vacancies created between 2010 and 2013. Timewise co-founder Karen Mattison said the competition aims to correct the perception that flexible working is ‘the enemy of small business’.

“We want to debunk that myth. The working world has moved on so much in the past ten years, with innovative and progressive SMEs using flexibility as a tool for attraction, retention and growth, as a matter of course.”

She added: “In our experience, small means agile, adaptable and speedy and many are experimenting with different styles of working. We have seen small businesses using part time hours as a way to tap into the talented market of skilled professionals, and hire two skilled members of staff for the price of one. And we have seen SMEs with business models that allow all members of staff to work remotely or from home. These are the businesses of the future – and they deserve to be championed.”

Minister for Employment Esther McVey, of the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “Small businesses are the driving force in our economy and can often adapt more quickly to market trends and flexible working practices, which can be vital in helping people back into the workplace, particularly those with family or caring commitments.

“Many people also aspire to be their own boss because of the flexibility it gives them and as part of the Government’s long-term economic plan we are committed to supporting enterprise and job creation through schemes such as the New Enterprise Allowance.”